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what isn't that clear in the article, is the speed advantage over chinese-produced cheap fashion goods. the t-shirt might look the same, a sort-of copy of a Lag
by pinaceae 14y ago
what isn't that clear in the article, is the speed advantage over chinese-produced cheap fashion goods. the t-shirt might look the same, a sort-of copy of a Lagerfeld piece. but the Zara one is in stores practically immediately after the fashion show in say Milan is over, while the container ship from China is leaving port.
speed kills, and fashion is a speedy business. your customers see what fashion magazines show them, and they want it now. Zara has understood this. awesome, awesome application of clear thinking and strategy.
Zara is being taught over here in EU together with Red Bull as one of the key modern examples for smart business models.
- dman 14y agoPretty fascinating. Could you elaborate a bit on red bull too.
- pinaceae 14y agored bull, on launch, did everything "wrong". mr mateschitz chose the narrow, tall can. every retailer told him to fuck off, he should comply with the standard coke/pepsi can. he did not comply. every retailer told him that red bull was too expensive. they wouldn't stock a dead product. he did not comply. the german authorities banned red bull over its formula - too much sugar and caffeine, a health risk. he did not comply. red bull got noticed by the youth in austria and germany, because: - it was different, new. you could spot someone from afar drinking it. white earbuds anyone? - it was expensive. it was special. - it was dangerous, forbidden. bavarian youth was driving over the border into austria too fill their trunks with precious red bull and 'smuggled' it into germany. pitch perfect branding strategy, way before their equally brilliant extreme sports sponsorship. tidbit: france only just recently lifted the BAN on red bull...
- dman 14y agoThanks!
- ImprovedSilence 14y agoHaha, funny that you point out Red Bull. Now THERE is a company that knows how to brand. I don't even drink Red Bull, but I love the brand, love the things they do, love the events the sponsor, and usually root for the teams they sponsor, should I not already have an allegiance in that sport. They've probably made tons off of somebody like me, who doesn't drink the drink, but buys into a lot of the other stuff they do.
- codewright 14y agoAgreed, although I use Redbull as my "I'm not in the mood for something hot" coffee/tea alternative.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoCold canned coffee is my new addiction, but I've been to Japan one too many times. Red Bull tastes like some bland pop to me, but they've really heightened their appeal by being the premier drink mixer (which ironically, used to be coke!).
- ImprovedSilence 14y agoYeah, I'm a fan of the canned starbucks doubleshot expresso drinks. A bit high on the sugar content for regular consumption, but I like the tasty treat every now and then.
- codewright 14y agoZero calories/carbs is why I drink Redbull instead of the Starbucks stuff. Japan has plain cold coffee, it's harder to find that here, otherwise I'd be happy to drink it.
- WrkInProgress 14y agoThey do touch on it. "The trendiest items are made closest to home, however, so that the production process, from start to finish, takes only two to three weeks. Inditex’s higher labor costs are offset by greater flexibility — no extra inventory lying around — and on faster turnaround speed."
- ukapu 14y agoI was in an upscale department store in July and spotted a very nice Prada cap, with a fairly distinctive shape. In September I went into a Zara near me and spotted a cap that was pretty clearly a facsimile of the Prada piece. I was really impressed at how quickly they had put it together. I assume they started manufacturing it immediately after the runway show.
- iamgoat 14y agoI'm not sure if that's such an advantage. Fashion shows are ahead of the ball by quite a bit and it takes 6+ months for end users to become accustomed/familiar/used to it to the point of starting to like it.